Tom: When Goose Island announced that they were going to release variations of their famous Bourbon County Stout in 2010 I’m sure a lot of craft beer fans around the world got excited. Surprisingly, it did not produce a wellspring of emotion (positive or negative) inside of me. Maybe it is because I think the “original” BCS is not A grade material or because I’d rather drink an Old Rasputin. Regardless of my preconceived notions, they were all blown away after enjoying the Coffee BCS a few months back.

This most recent blend released just a week ago uses whole vanilla beans and is aged in Bourbon barrels. Presented at the 2009 Wood and Barrel Aged Beer to festival goers this beer hit it off well…so much so that it demanded bottling. From what I can tell, the vanilla beans are used during the brewing process and not included in the barrels during aging (I could be wrong on this).

With my wood burning stove raging I poured this blackstrap molasses looking beer into my trusty snifter. Blam! The aroma filled the air around me with big hints of Bourbon (go figure), licorice, and figs as I took pictures. There was literally no head as the liquid was very viscous. It did produce legs on the glass and an evident alcohol tingle was in my nostrils. The color was jet black with deep mahogany edges.

Diving into the plethora of aromas there was an overwhelming sense of fresh, dark fruits. Prunes, figs, dates, raisins, some grapes, along with charred wood, tannins, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla extract (reminiscent of they kind my mother would use when making cookies). Additional notes of dark chocolate, some nuttiness, and burnt grains rounded out a sweeter smelling BCS.

As compared to the Coffee rendition where I felt the coffee beans aided in drawing out the grain qualities, the vanilla seems to accentuate the Bourbon components while at the same time mellowing out its abrasiveness.

Thus, the taste of this beer was much more sweet and smooth than former BCS variations. The mouthfeel: still heavy as all get out, but I found that I could let the beer settle on my tongue longer because the abv was masked until the finish. At first, each sip it marked with a sweet syrupy blend of wood caramels, molasses, and vanilla extract. It then moves into a smooth Bourbon quality in the middle where I found the vanilla presented itself right before the finish. The aftertaste had a flavor similar to that of vanilla bean ice cream which I loved.

Non-threatening and oh so delicious, Vanilla BCS is very drinkable for being a rather big beer. If you are able to get your hands on a few bottles I would highly recommend it. The bottle I drank was capped on 11/5/10 and I have another I plan on aging for a while. So far this has been my favorite Goose Island BCS to date…next up the Rare BCS. Grade: A

John: This is an import beer! Well if you live in Minnesota and the demand is high. This found it’s way up to the Twin Cities from Chicago. I tried to find it locally but it was nowhere to be found. The demand was so high the timeline was moved back. Way back. So it is an import–from Chicago. Because of the anticipation my expectations where high, very high. Not one moment of disappointment. This beer poured rich. It’s aroma was rich. It’s taste was rich. Outstanding beer. Rich in chocolate and vanilla aroma and flavor to match the smell. The mouthfeel was medium with a great perky effervescence. Nice first impression. I was nervous about the bourbon power but the vanilla took the edge off. So much so that I didn’t want to share this one with my buddies. Just drink the whole bomber by myself–slowly, very slowly.The taste reminded me of a rich chocolate candy bar like a Hershey’s.The finish came with with some alcohol and therefore memorable. Spend some money on this one and either sit around with some buddies proclaiming GI’s accomplishment or sip is all alone for the evening. Grade: A

Taylor: My love for Goose Island continues to grow. I enjoyed a bottle of this wonderful stout after Thanksgiving dinner, and wow did it deliver. It pours thick and sticky, and smells deeply sweet, with that roasted character we love, and a vanilla explosion to boot. Not tons of carbonation, but it’s definitely not flat. This is a beer to be saved and savored. If you can possibly get two bottles of this … do it. Cellar one and enjoy the other with friends! Grade: A